TGIF! Marketing on Friday

This is not an ad for any product nor study on the current prices
of groceries. I just took an hour or so from my paper works to fetch
from our Friday market what I've been wanting to eat since the other
day. I have been craving for cherries for days but won't give in
to the temptation and buy from the regular fruit store selling
imported huge, round cherries for 11.90Euro a kilo.
While waiting for my turn in this long line of faithful
"Suki" buyers of this most patronized fruits and veggies
stand in this Friday market,I could enjoy hearing the small
talks of the locals: Greetings, "Guten Tag", "He has a stroke and
now in hospital," "She has amaurosis," (I tried hard to remember
the word so I could google it later but I could also have misheard
what the woman has said.),"Korea, that country is poor, isn't it?"
(They were talking about the latest news on the doping case of two
North Korean football players in the Women's World Cup games
happening currently in Germany.), etc, etc, etc. Wish I could tape
all the talks while waiting to get my cherries.
For the purchase of blackberries, strawberries and a kilo
of cherries (see photo above), I paid only 7.40Euro. TGIF! It was
worth waiting for Friday marketing.

Roses Outside Our Windows

Beetrose - Sweet Dream

English Old Rose

Rumba

Summer Song
"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of
us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose
garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are
blooming outside our windows today."
D. Carnegie

My first purchased rose for this summer is named Rumba, followed
by another pot of Gertrude Jekyll English old rose. Inspired by
the blooming roses in my neighborhood, I got this time a climbing
rose with dark orange color. The card says roses would later smell
deliciously of chrysanthemums, banana and tea. When the dear neighbor
drove me to a garden center where I saw more collections of roses
in all colors and scents, I took another pot of beetrose with
the name, Sweet Dream. I'm thinking of going back to the garden
center and get the pinkish Leonardo da Vinci.
The magical rose garden is not over the horizon...it's just
outside my windows. Hope the magic will last long.

Price Hike for Groceries and Food Shopping for a Day

On my way to the city to fetch groceries, I saw the headline in a local
newspaper this morning. It says "Prices for Foodstuffs Increase
up to 43%. Aha,I was telling myself, as a legendary economical wife,
this means I must also increase the household allowance up to 43% at
least for the basic groceries. Would this entail another marital
discussion about my stuffing the pantry with goods which would be
forgotten and found only past their expiry dates?
Earlier today, I planned to have a fruit day either with
fresh pineapples with kiwis and bananas but soon changed my
mind when I passed by my favorite Turkish grocery and saw
huge, ripe papayas attractively piled up in their white lacy
anti-dent nets along with water melons and plastic boxes of
delicate raspberries.One whole piece of papaya costs 7.99 Euro
(why they won't round off the price remains a big riddle to me)
which is still cheap compared to the price of imported
fruits sold in the city center. Luckily, we have localities in
this city which I would also call as areas with migration
background where one could still freely touch and smell
fruits without getting scolded by the shopkeeper.
And passing by the Moroccan fish dealer minutes later, I knew I
just had to forgo my fruit day for a another date.
I bought a kilo of fresh sardines for 5.99 Euro(again no
rounding off)and paid after a small talk with the friendly
Moroccan man. He assured me that I could freeze, grill,
cook the sardines and they would taste fresh from the
seas. Did he say Atlantic Ocean? I don't remember but
I paid him 6 Euro for my sardines. He rounded if off, finally.
So for the day, I spent all in all for one piece of papaya,
one kilo of sardines, one bunch of parsley, a pack of green peppers
and a bunch of young green onions - 16.76 Euro. I love this
shopping streets with migration background but I won't think
of them in our marital discussion about increasing the
food allowance. It's official...43% more. Basta!

March Fool's Day - Domestic Goddess' Blues

This week has been neatly planned. I would do a general
cleaning, throw more papers, clear up clutters and try a cake
recipe. For the last plan, I bought myself a new kitchen timer,
in the form of a white boiled egg with the top removed, the
yolk looks so ready for breakfast.

After checking out what pans and other baking gadgets
I might have, I took the new kitchen timer and set the time
for 15 minutes. It made two or more tick tocks and stopped.
I touched the egg timer and it started "ticking and tocking"
like a normal kitchen timer should do. But as soon as I left
it standing on the table, it refused to work, no tick tocking
at all.

It was a sunny first day of March this year with the temperature
to go as high as 11°C. Why should one spend such a beautiful
day sorting out papers and scrubbing?

What a good thing that the kitchen timer was not functioning.
I could leave the flat without guilt for not keeping the
planned cleaning agenda.

Meanwhile, the radio was broadcasting the news on the resignation of
zu Guttenberg who has been under heavy pressure even in his own
CSU Party for the plagiarism affair in connection with his dissertation.
Tja..."Adel verpflichtet," as the expression goes. Was it the pressure
or his own realization that the only decent thing left now is to
leave the political arena. Maybe for the meantime. Who knows?

In Saturn, where I bought my egg timer, I told the saleslady that
the kitchen timer must have a design defect. It is actually
a shaker as it won't tick tack if not shaken. She was not
amused, I had the feeling. I got a replacement.

Now I can't help but smile thinking what if I set the egg timer
and it starts jumping?

Supporting the neighborhood economy

My first act when I returned to my village after a brief holiday
in Budapest was to buy a kilo of these locally harvested
walnuts. I saw the sign Walnuts for Sale for 3.50Euro per kilo in
front of a house on the street near our local post office.
I thought time has really changed. Even my neighbors are now
selling nuts from their backyard. But the nuts taste really
fresh, sweet as compared to the imported nuts from USA which
cost only about 2Euro a pack from the supermarket. The ones
from the USA are bigger and cleaner but taste a bit old and
moldy. I wonder how long have they been stored in some German
import houses and released just in time for Christmas season.
Well, I have my locally harvested nuts for consumption and the
US nuts could be used as Christmas decors. Nothing is lost.
Bayanihan ala Alemanya. The difference is that I paid for the
nuts. Didn't get it free, didn't work for it either.

Alltags...one poster about a bank

On my way to the weekend market to fetch fresh fish coming from
Holland,I saw this poster. It carries the message..."every person
has something which moves him...we make the way free for you."
Instantly, I thought of one thing. Where are the women?
Just tellers and typists in this country where Gleichberectingung
or equal opportunity is written with capital G.
Calling German CEOs, come to my country and see how women are
handling high positions in banking business.

Spring Again!

"It's spring again
and the birds on the wing again
start to sing again
the old melody"
Frank Sinatra

According to the calendar,it is the official
start of Spring, March 20.
Time to change the wardrobe, maybe get a new
haircut, new hair color,out of the greying zone,
get friends for brunch in street cafes, check
on the few potted tulips in the terrace. Emma B.,
a friend who has a green thumb even for cultivating
Alugbati* inside their
house suggested to loosen
the soil a bit so the tulips get out of their
wintry hiding. Nothing of that sort happens yet so one
buys ready to go tulips from the supermarket and
gets out with thick jacket and gloves not forgetting
the handy umbrella.
*Alugbati...I wrote the usual what is alugbati in
English, googled it and got this answer: Malabar Night Shade.
Other source said it is a kind of spinach. One more point
learned while waiting for spring.

On the Second Day Before Christmas...Stress, Stress, Stress

Cross Posting

Yes, I am feeling like a do all Goddess...computer man was here
yesterday (he dared to comment about my Christmas tree saying,
Obscene!)...when hubby was just about to enjoy his piece of
yummy chocolate cake...his computer did not work and so
back to his old Mother Board and to his blues!
Did not sleep the whole night...have to do last documentation
reporting for Finanzamt for the Verein and am I still on the
job of copying published activities. Called up Finanzamt
and no one was answering. Who is working anyway at this
time of the season...the news featured Germans on the buying
spree. Everyone wants to buy gifts, and I have not even
bought our supply of milk for the holidays.
Then our newly repaired Espresso machine (the repair costs
almost a new machine)is not really that functioning...
cold coffee, drops of brownish morsels are coming out
of the mini how do you call it....coffee-spout. Help! Mood of
hubby is now getting really all-time low. No computer,
no Espresso. Managgia! (is the spelling right?)
Even the chocolate cake does not seem to work magic anymore.

So, in between, have to unleash my frustrations and post
this blog I promised to complete before
the eve of Christmas...no, before Christmas Day.
Saw some emails...aha, some warring women are now sending
sweet Christmas wishes to each other. Must be in the air...
forgiving for the season and backbiting again next year?
Ah women!

The doorbell rings...post? I hope the parcel is for me
and I am not again a recipient of mailed gifts for my neighbors.

So back to sorting out paperwork and heating meals.
Domestic Goddess!

Tags: alltags, domestic, friendship, greetings, life, list, wish

Source:http://babaylanesworld.ning.com

Cross Posting:Time to Change i.e...sige tulog ka pa!

(Source of photo: upload.wikimedia.org)

Have you adjusted your watches before you went to bed last night?
I did and did not.

I did because hubby wanted to have a wake-up call early this
morning and so had to adjust one alarm clock one hour later for
the year's winter time which started this early morning at 3 am.

I did not because of my habit of not adjusting it for the simple
reason of wanting to have that feeling that I have one more hour
to go back to bed and snooze a bit more. Mag-inin pa...even hubby
knows this term and uses it when he is not in the mood
to get up despite the screaming alarm.

I don't know the term for adjustment of time to the normal
time...in summer we call it Day-light saving time, right? Or is
it only a term in Da Philippines? How about in winter? Do we call
it Night-light saving time or Night-Life Saving Time?

Minsan, naalala ko pa in my early years in Alemanya...we were told
by our language teachers to adjust our watches one hour ahead so
as not to miss our final language examination in German. I did not
only adjust my watch on Saturday night but also did not sleep at all
on Sunday night due to my anxiety of getting up late and not
making it to the final examination. Stressy time talaga sa Alemanya.
Despite the warnings, there were a couple of North African
students who came in panting for breath just in time to get the
exam papers. Stressy life for foreigners in Germany.

Minsan, naalala ko pa din that we (hubby and I) were running like
crazy couple to the train station and missed our connection. Aha,
sisihan walang katapusan. We were blaming each other no end like
thespians in an open air theater at the platform of this train station
until we saw that our watches were on summer time module. Aha...
we realized both our over reaction and moments later, our marital
inter-communication was smoothly repaired.

I still have three other watches to adjust...will do it one watch
everyday until my system gets adjusted to what it is called winter
time...time to hibernate, time to make In-in, Winterschlaf and get
ready for Spring and Summertime. Uhuummmm...idlip pa.

If you have some interesting anecdotes about time adjustment, do
share with us. Kung may naalala kayong karanasan tungkol sa
pagpapalit ng oras sa Europa, paki share lang.

Pinay von Alemania

September 14 and the Mooncake

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival or Happy Mooncake Festival!
This is not a posting on how to make these calorie bombs or
mooncakes but the photographed pinyin or yue bing
(moon biscuit) cake is prepared to be eaten
during our brunch this Sunday morning.
Well, not really prepared but as our original plan
to eat out turned into eating in, I have to look for
something eatable to go with our Espresso Casa Gusto
Cremoso meaning, Espresso if I see spilled milk
inside the fridge (placing milk carton is always a tricky
business in my kitchen) or Cappuccino if we could
splurge on this breakfast item.
Meanwhile, the mooncake is waiting on the breakfast
table as hubby gets back to bed while I check
my emails and found greetings sent by Chinese women
in one of my egroups:

祝大家中秋節快樂!

Could you guess the meaning?

In case you wish to know more about this mooncake
eating festival and Mid-summer Festival...here's
a short info taken from chinesefood.about.com.

The Moon festival (also called the Mooncake or
Mid-Autumn festival)falls on September 14th in the year 2008.
What is the Moon festival?
Every year on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar
calendar,when the moon is at its maximum brightness for the
entire year,the Chinese celebrate "zhong qiu jie." Children are told
the story of the moon fairy living in a crystal palace, who comes
out to dance on the moon's shadowed surface. The legend
surrounding the "lady living in the moon" dates back to ancient
times, to a day when ten suns appeared at once in the sky.
The Emperor ordered a famous archer to shoot down the nine
extra suns. Once the task was accomplished, Goddess of Western
Heaven rewarded the archer with a pill that would make him immortal.
However, his wife found the pill, took it, and was banished
to the moon as a result. Legend says that her beauty is greatest
on the day of the Moon festival.

Hey, I just want to eat a mooncake!

祝大家中秋節快樂!

Back to Alemania and Mamma Mia!

 
Ciao!
The week of returning to the nest and Mamma Mia!
What I did the first thing in the morning was to
check the weighing scale and NO, would not, couldn't
say how much I am weighing now. Bad news for those women
who have been impressed by how fast I have lost weight just
by one week of Heilfasten. No... in the land of first and second
plates every meal, Heilfasten is not working at all! But honestly
I have been enjoying every serving during and after our
camping, been noting all the recipes on how to do simple pastas
by just having simple olive oil to top pastas and green leaves,
Sapori as Glen said everytime we had our plates of Italian
pastas in all sizes and names.

Will make a flashback of my sinful days in Bella Italia but
first explanation on the photo above with Meryl Streep
and Pierce Brosnan. This is my first film
this month of August this year after more than two months
of sojourn in Italia teaching or rather trying to teach
Filipino kids the national language of their roots and some values
and traditions like they should obey me as their camping teacher
without questioning my declared authority. It did not work!

Back to the photo from this musical film Mamma Mia...well, hubby
was ready for anything that night so I dared him to join me in this
film, and what a delightful evening we had or at least I had while
humming the winner takes it all. Imagine the scene where the cool
Agent 007 hangs Chinese lanterns and feeling totally helpless in
the presence of a singing ex-girlfriend, Donna (Meryl Streep).
Hubby was enjoying a musical film for the first time!
Anyway, I told him that I would come back to see the film
with my what you called in German "Gleichgesinnten" meaning
like-minded,kindred spirit but not necessarily sharing my
post Bella Italia sojourn, Mamma Mia!...obesity, ugh!
Here's the Tartufo Queen after days of Italian pasti
and tiramisi...I don't know if there's such a word.

June Ramblings from Independence Day to Paraskevidekatriaphobia

June 12 - Philippine Independence Day, celebration of our declaration
of independence from Spain in 1898.
I declared to be free from some of my blackheads and enjoy the
promised Facial Treatment and Massage birthday gift of Sol on my
8th day of Fasting.But she has condition. We should go for
a power walk first at nine in the morning in the woods near her
residence. No problem I thought as this would just be fitting
for my fasting ritual. I could need some extra burning of
calories as my heavy weight won't declare independence from me.

June 12 this year is one of those so called Schafskälte days
when instead of basking in the sun, people would wear winter
clothes because of the sudden fall in temperature. This
weather phenomenon happens between 10 and 20 of June in Middle
Europe. (Source: http://lifestyle.aolsvc.de


Like a meek lamb, I was trying my best to keep up with
the Olympic tempo of Sol and her other walkathon partner who
must be a bit frustrated with me as she had to break her
fast walking. It rained a bit, too.

Finally back to her place, she immediately made me comfortable
(with servings of tea and water) and started her magic.
Soothing music, soft blanket and my self in total surrender.
Wow! This is pure indulgence. Tell you, women get in touch
with her for your next appointment and feel like a newly reborn
after this exclusive facial treatment with massage.
Lunch served (not included in her treatment unless you are
willing to partake of this luxury)rice with Italian Bagoong
tomatoes, Japanese nori. I did not eat but just enjoyed
watching her consume her favorite meal. So this must be the
secret of her radiance was thinking to myself while taking
my cup of vegetable broth nearer to me. Sigh!
Home to my hubby in the evening who was not working
on manuscripts but of course on...football match Germany
vs.Croatia.

Friday, 13, day of blogging and my first Aufbautag.
Well, fastbreaking roughly translated in English.
While waiting for the supermarket to open and get fresh
apples as fastbreaker (I need only one piece steamed
apple)I find myself in front of the computer and started to
check emails and new postings and I stumbled upon this
word: paraskevidekatriaphobia
meaning fear of Friday-13th.
Oh, fitting day. It is the day after the match, and Germany
lost to Croatia but no cause for despair, the fans have
been assured, there will be another match to show their
might.Meanwhile, I wonder if many Dutch and French fans
are suffering from Paraskevidekatriaphobia for the match
tonight. So with Italian and Romanian fans.

Now, have to do a short break to get my fresh apples to
break my fasting. Hallo Italian Bagoong, here I come!

From Schafen to Suendenboecken

I chanced on this video and instantly thought of Mr. Mehdorn
and his present dilemma with his trains: Privatization,
looming strikes,demand for higher loan and now strayed
sheeps on the tracks.
Poor poor sheeps! From strayed sheeps to scapegoats!
Enjoy the video:


While investigation is still going on, another
train rammed into a herd of cattle near Dresden today.

I can just imagine that Mr. Mehdorn, the big boss of
the German train company is having bad
dreams lately...meeh, meeh, mehhhhhh.

Cross-Border Weekend

 
 
 
 

One of those perks in living in Europe is a smooth and care-free
travelling around with European trains. That is if they are not
on strike or repairing some tracks on weekends. One can either
book tickets directly per internet with especial discounts for
holders of special discount for frequent travellers or the so-called
Bahncard which gives 25% to 50% cut on the regular fares, or for
bookers for holiday tariffs as advertised by almost all European
trains.
German trains offer as low as 19Euro
for one-way ticket to Amsterdam or even as low as 39Euro to
some European capital cities like Paris, Milano and Copenhagen.
I have a return ticket to Amsterdam which would
expire this last weekend of March and so despite the
not so encouraging weather forecast for Holland and the
return text of my girlfriend Herms who is, in turn,
spending her weekend in Belgium, I took the early ICE
train to this land of tulips and cheese with a bit
of frustration though as I found out that this super
fast train would be rerouted and definitely would
be encountering delays as good, industrious
Dutch railway technicians or other guest workers are repairing
Dutch tracks this weekend.
Reaching the main station of Utrecht, I have never fail to
do the first act of my visiting rites...go to the nearest
French fries (should be Dutch fries right?) and get myself
a normal serving with peanut and mayonnaise dressing. Yes,
even for breakfast! If I would get my good share of my
bad cholesterol, then it should come from a genuine
source and not the copied fries in Germany.
The rest of the short day would be spent in window shopping
checking the latest fashion worn by these mannequins. It always
amuses me to see that in Holland, the boundary of fashion
between let us say grandmas and their teenage granddaughters is
just also a cross-generation dressing. Wear anything as long as
you enjoy wearing it or simply anything goes seems to be the
fashion dictate in this land of Gouda cheese, Delft porcelain and
herring eaters.



Even for a rainy weekend, the flower market is worth
a visit to complement a day tour of the market taking
photos of how these honey waffle cookies are made or just
feasting one's eyes on all all sizes and shapes and colors
of fish, cheese, nuts,candies leather bags, skirts and shawls,
fruits and locks, screws, bolts and toys for cats
and dogs.

On my way back, the ICE train would be again rerouted
but this time, I have a bagful of giant-sized pindas
(peanuts), cashew nuts, crab salad, honey waffle cookies,
and cheeeeeeeeeese! A real Dutch treat, right?

On the 14th Day of Christmas

Friday, the 14th of December
no sign of snow
no sign of sun
at least the temperature is getting like a typical December weather
and today no rain!
the cleaning of the balcony can wait
but it is Friday
market day
fish day
Sushi dinner for two
do it yourself slicing and soaking the
fresh tuna and salmon
in soy sauce with three cloves of finely
cut garlic
eaten with japanese rice sprinkled with
all sorts of flaky sea weeds
and accompanied by warm sake
quite a shift from the sweet stuffs which
I have been chewing since the start of December:
Krapfen (which is translated as doughnut!)
Spekulatius, Macaroons and Stollen.
Last night I was finishing off a packet of
Macademia nuts and some pistachio left-overs -
must be those sudden pangs of hunger after
my Heilfasting. Anyway, I won my bet with
Nelly that I could lose some weight before
the conference...the only act of losing I really like...
losing in the scale. So now the bulge can come
back and I can throw my weight around, ahah!
Irog, can you mail our Christmas cards, fetch
water and bring down the garbage, pleeeeeeease!

(Actually, I wanted to change the image for my
blog...but it won't work. The new photo refused
to appear on the main page. Too loaded with blogging
images? SOS! or Help!)


(Another booty from the Weihnachtsmarkt, Churros ala Alemanya!
No, we don't serve them with hot chocolate came the answer
from a woman selling Christmas biscuits when I asked if I could
have hot chocolate to go with the fingergoodies. With what then,
with Gluehwein?)

On the first day of December...Adventscalendar

C is for Chocolate. A chocolate calendar given by our bank. That
sounds soooo rich, our bank. But I was dreaming today like
other millions of Lotto tippers...what shall I do with 38Millions
if I win the jackpot?
My villa in Toscana for Pinays in Alemanya?
Chasing an impossible dream or just getting
addicted to a weekly gambling?

When Trains Won't Go...

 
Friday morning and came the news that Die Bahn started its strike
from 8 in the morning to last until about 11 but passengers
and travellers should expect more delays.
As a frequent train traveller, this is no news...I mean the
delays and not only minutes but hours of waiting for the next
train to rescue us somewhere in the fields between Germany
and The Netherlands. Photo above shows not about the strike
this morning, though. It was my other encounter with the
delays of the trains somewhere in Mannheim this summer where
hundreds of passengers were stranded for more than two hours
of waiting. More than an hour spent waiting inside the unmoving
ICE and the rest of the time looking for the next connection.
Mine was the train bound for Basel and further to Bella Italia.
Nothing in sight except the cold drinks served by the train
personnel at the station.
Well, not really that dramatic, these train strikes today.
Radio is broadcasting about groups of people who are still
waiting at the train station to get the next train for their
weekend excursion, and calls are coming in from passengers
asking when and how they could reach their destination.
No chaos despite the delays. Or is this only a dry run for the
striking train operators who are asking now for about 10 percent
increase in their salary?
 
That is my bag being carried by this Gentleman.
Whoever you are, you were an angel sent...not by the bahn.
 

The first thing I did when I reached Basel after the long delay
was to go to my favorite cake shop and get myself those
lovely Luxumbuergerlis. Hmmmmm, the best panacea for
the bruised travelling spirit. who cares about the next
train connection?
Calling Bahnchef Mehdorn! Die Bahn should have more of these
fingergoodies and comfort food than just plain coffee and
bottled drinks.

The Octopus Story: Episode 1

We normally get our share of fresh Frutti di Mare
every Friday in our weekly market sold by a team
of Dutch fish vendors. They are Protestant in
their religious preference, I should say but they
help me keep my Catholic upbringing by buying fresh
tuna, dorade, shrimps, sardines, salmon, mussels,
clams, squids and octopus and thus make me vegetarian
at least every Friday and not only on Holy Friday.
Not that I buy all the above Frutti di Mare in their
stall every Friday but at least I have enough seafood
supply without having to live near the sea.
In short, I am a Suki, or I consider them my fish Suki
and I can proudly say that I have invested a bit in making
their fish business flourish.
After one sojourn in Padova where I tasted this freshly
prepared Pulpo or Octopus salad in a market stand in the
city center, I have always wished making my own fresh
octopus salad. So returning one day to my favorite fish
vendor, I eagerly got me one fresh Octopus...well fresh
in the sense, it was freshly lying on a mount of crushed ice.

Home with my prized Octopus, I prepared a potful of
water with cut onions, pieces of garlic, black peppers and
salt and put the whole octopus to cook while I looked for
the phone to start another hobby. In between calls, I wanted
to check the stuff when I saw a chicken-like structure floating
out of the pot. Madonna! The octopus had doubled in size and
was about to jump out of the boiling broth. Where did I see
such film, I was wondering...tentacles or what? Our late lunch
was delayed more by my excitement as I called back the phone
mate to narrate my first Pulpo cooking experience. Are
they also doping octopus nowadays?
Taste of the warm octopus salad: A bit "gummy" but the olive
oil imported from an Italian supermarket saved the late lunch.

To be continued: Abangan ang susunod na kabanata!

Of Knut, Gorilla Bokito and Beary Brownie

 
"Will polar bear Knut become dangerous like Gorilla Bokito?"
flashed in many German sensational dailies today after the Dutch zoo director in Rotterdam City blamed his
colleagues in Berlin for spoiling Gorilla Bokito. A transfer from
Berlin Zoo to Rotterdam Zoo Blijdorp (Happy Village)to help in
getting new "recruits" from three female gorillas in Rotterdam Zoo,
Bokito attracted media attention not only through his successful
mission but also through his aggression; the gorilla was said to be
behaving like a "macho" before it started attacking zoo visitors last week.
It was a case of wrong 'upbringing,' said the Dutch zoo director.
Bokito was given feeding-bottles, was going out and eating
pizzas with his caretakers and on top of it, he was a star in Germany.

Will this cute and lovely new star of the Berlin Zoo, Knut the
Polar Bear, end up like Bokito, the Macho Gorilla?
 

Good thing that we have our own source of domestic delight and
bear hug through our unspoiled Beary Brownie. It is more than
a decade since this 'huggable' creature has joined our household,
and it does not need anything except fresh batteries for singing.
And those eyes, just look at those eyes.
Who needs Knut and Bokito?

Note: Photos of Knut and Gorilla are taken from the Nachrichten

If it's Monday, it is Aldi Day! and Nice Neighbors

I bumped into one of my nice woman neighbors yesterday afternoon
after doing my Monday grocery in this now famous 'if it's Monday
or Thursday, then it is Aldi Day' supermarket where one buys not
only canned goods and computers but also books tours or holidays
to USA, Africa or anywhere in Asia. I still have to check if the
supermarket in my village beats the Ethnic tariffs offered by many
tour and travel agencies to full or half-blooded Filipinas and Filipinos
and their partners and children. I did not buy any holiday tour package
but bought a universal homeware which unifies all Aldi shoppers,
rich or poor, employed or unemployed, sports car owners or joggers,
and with this ware, I mean the ever helpful rolls of toilet papers.
Well, come to think of it, it is indeed, a very unifying factor,
an egalitarian domestic ware which is found now in all sizes and
shapes of German-made bathrooms including the johns, naturally.
Ooops, I forgot one globalization issue here. Many stuffs are no
longer produced in expensive Germany but imports from different
"cheap" production zones either in Europe or China.

But back to my Nice Neighbor...
I said nice neighbor because she is, indeed, a nice person...as in
nice person and married to another nice husband. All the niceties
one could wish for when you are living in an apartment complex.
Why am I writing this piece? Well, she gave me two bottles of really
exquisite tasting barrique aged redwine after this spontaneous
meeting in front of our apartment. Talking of ideal, nice neighborhood.

They also showed me yesterday their newly purchased Mac notebook;
my heart sank with envy...the other man's grass is always greener
syndrome momentarily overwhelmed me, that piece of Apple I wanted
so much since I've learned how to use the mouse.

So after the small talks and reassuring them that I would not
attempt to ride freely in their newly installed Wilan connection,
I invited them to visit my blogs. So now you could imagine
why the sudden love your neighbor as you love yourself posting
here.

Now, I am thinking of getting a new blog...blog without my
dear nice neighbors knowing about their equally nice
Pinay Kapitbahay blog.com.

Pinay von Alemanya